We live in a time when alternative is going mainstream. Solar power has many applications and is widely considered as an important source of alternative energy, along with other such variants as wind power and hydel power. Wind power, a popular alternative energy, dates back to the time of the early settlers who used crude windmills for crushing grains that measured up to 20 feet. However, it was not until 1979 when Danish engineers developed petite electricity generators fitted with light PVC blades capable of producing electricity that wind power became practically feasible. Those were the very first “Wind Turbines”. It marked a significant step in the evolution of alternative energy and paved the way for the world to have its first device for generating electricity by harnessing the power of the wind.

The potential of wind power was quickly realized by other nations and they followed in the footsteps of the Danish engineers. The following years saw a surge in the manufacture of wind turbine systems all across the US and the UK. Alternative energy such as wind power and solar power made it easy to save on electricity bills and also lessen the dependence on the local utility company or on the grid. However, wind energy also posed a few difficulties. The most serious complaint was due to the highly unpredictable nature of wind. Wind turbines need a consistent flow of wind to be really effective. Inclement weather and low wind speeds often result in severe disruption of power generation by the turbines. To add to the problem, there was the menace of noise. The turbines, themselves, contributed to noise pollution in and around the area where they were located and were often dubbed as ‘roaring monsters’. This is one of the reasons why wind turbines are rarely seen in residential areas. However, in recent years, use of better bearings and intelligent redesigning of the turbines have reduced the noise to a great extent.

So much for wind power. Let’s look at another very popular form of alternative energy, viz. solar power. Solar power has had a very curious history of its discovery. Calvin Fuller, Gerald Pearson and Daryl Chaplin of Bell Laboratories accidentally discovered, what is widely regarded as the mother of the modern solar cell, silicon semiconductors which had very strong solar properties while researching on the behavioral pattern of non-metals. Following this seminal discovery, the first solar cell was soon developed and everybody was amazed to find out how effective they were in generating electricity, especially when made to work in clusters. Solar power became an instant hit and caught the people’s imagination like wildfire. Very soon companies and manufacturers everywhere got themselves busy making and installing solar panels all across the land. The US government also encouraged the use of this new technology by staring to offer incentives, grants and rebates for every installation undertaken within the country. Solar power promised a world of benefits to the user. The main benefit came in the form of slashed electricity bills and hassle-free supply of current that needed no raw material or virtually zero maintenance. The only drawback that solar power suffered from was its inability to perform in the absence of the sun, especially after dark.

In order to ensure uninterrupted power supply round the clock, and also to substantially reduce electricity consumption costs (in the form of electricity bills) one might follow the following steps.

Consider installing both solar panels as well as wind turbines within the same premises. While the solar system will generate power during the day, the turbine will ensure uninterrupted power supply at night.

Install a battery bank with the system as a stand-by unit to work when everything else fails. Batteries can easily store some amount of the generated power that can be used during times when both the systems are unavailable.

Get the system connected to the grid so that all surplus power can be sent back to the grid, helping you make earn from selling power to the utility.

It doesn’t take much to make money from the system. With both units running simultaneously, the consumer will not only need any current from the grid but will also flood it with his or her own generated current.

With every passing day, more and more people everywhere are enthusiastically adopting alternative power. The demand for solar and wind power for residential use has already picked up considerably, and will continue to climb up the popularity curve in the following years. Even though there are still a few technical glitches, they are not of a very serious nature and will be resolved in the near future through continuing research and development.

So would you like to set up such a system? Take help from a manual that will help you install it step by step by showing you where to set it up, how to do it, how to wire the system, where to get the parts and the batteries from and will inform you about the safety instructions too. People across the world now know the advantages of installing a solar or a wind power system at home. By doing this you are now only contributing to clean up the environment, but the benefits are financial as well as you can reduce your power bills.